Maharashtra Governor’s ‘Secular’ taunt: Issue has ended for us after Amit Shah’s stand, says Sanjay Raut

In the backdrop of Union home minister Amit Shah’s statement on Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari’s ‘secular’ taunt to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray,

In the backdrop of Union home minister Amit Shah’s statement on Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari’s ‘secular’ taunt to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, Shiv Sena MP and executive editor of the party mouthpiece Saamana Sanjay Raut said the curtain has been drawn on the episode for them. Meanwhile, the Congress has demanded action against the ‘anti-constitutional’ stand by the governor.

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Raut on Sunday said that after the stance taken by Shah, a message would have been sent out to governors across the country. “The controversy could have been avoided, had it not been commenced by Governor. We did not start, ours was a reaction. However, the issue has now ended for us after an earful by Union home minister Amit Shah, whose ministry handles matters related to governors and Raj Bhavans. We respect Shah as he never hesitates to put up the truth frankly. We respect his stand on the issue and draw the curtain on it now,” he said.

Shah had, on Saturday, in an interview to a media group said that Governor BS Koshyari should have chosen his words carefully in the letter he wrote to Thackeray. “I have read the letter. He has made a passing reference. I believe some restraint could have been exercised,” Shah said.

Koshyari had written to Thackeray last week raising the issue of reopening of places of worship in Maharashtra. “I wonder if you are receiving any divine premonition to keep postponing the reopening of the places of worship time and again or have you suddenly turned ‘secular ‘ yourselves, the term you hated?” Koshyari had asked Thackeray in his letter. In his response, Thackeray said he does not need a “certificate” on Hindutva from the governor and added, “Do you mean that opening up religious places is Hindutva, and not opening them means being secular? Secularism is a crucial base of the oath you took as Governor. Do you not believe it?”

The Congress has demanded that the governor be called back by the Central government. “If the Central government is convinced that the honourable governor has crossed his brief, he should be called back to safeguard the constitutional framework,” said Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant.

Meanwhile, Sawant has also raised questions as to why the Railways was dilly-dallying in commencing local train services to women commuters despite having agreed amicably during a meeting on October 13. “The railway officers agreed to allow women commuters board train from October 17, the first day of Navratri, during non-peak hours. The meeting was chaired by the chief secretary of Maharashtra and both the sides had agreed. Why are BJP leaders, who have been insisting on opening temples, silent on the delay? And why do not they ask their leader Piyush Goyal, who heads the railway ministry, to intervene?” he questioned.